Emma Thompson Says Sense and Sensibility Helped Show a New Side of Alan Rickman

Emma Thompson says working on Sense and Sensibility helped audiences see Alan Rickman in a very different light.

In a new video for GQ, Thompson, 66, reflected on several films from her career, including the 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, which recently marked its 30th anniversary. The movie is based on the novel by Jane Austen and starred Thompson as Elinor Dashwood, the responsible eldest sister trying to guide her family after their father’s death.

The cast also included Hugh Grant as Elinor’s love interest Edward Ferrars and Kate Winslet as her emotional younger sister Marianne. Rickman, who died in 2016 at age 69, played Colonel Brandon, a quiet and honorable man who falls in love with Marianne. Her other suitor, John Willoughby, was played by Greg Wise, whom Thompson met on the film. The two later married in 2003.

“It was a very happy film,” Thompson said, praising the cast for coming largely from theater backgrounds. She described Winslet, who was just 19 at the time, as “heaven on earth,” noting that although she had appeared in Heavenly Creatures, she was still relatively new to major roles.

Thompson also spoke about Grant, saying she has worked with him more than almost any other actor. She joked that he was grumpy during filming but added that Sense and Sensibility came at a good moment in his career, shortly after his breakout role in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

When it came to Rickman, Thompson said he was especially pleased to play a kind and heroic character. She explained that he had grown tired of being cast as villains, particularly after playing the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Hans Gruber in Die Hard. “He was so happy to be playing someone heroic and nice,” she said.

Thompson and Rickman later worked together again on Love, Actually, where he played an unfaithful husband opposite Thompson’s character. Both actors also appeared in the Harry Potter films, with Rickman famously portraying Professor Snape and Thompson playing Professor Trelawney. The two remained close friends until his death.

Looking back on the Sense and Sensibility cast as a whole, Thompson said there were no egos on set. She felt the actors naturally understood the characters, making the experience smooth and collaborative.

She also praised director Ang Lee, who was making his English-language debut with the film. Thompson recalled that Lee welcomed collaboration, even though he told the actors that in Taiwan, directors are usually treated as absolute authority figures. She said he loved the more open and creative process.

Sense and Sensibility went on to earn Thompson an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, making her the first and still only person to win Oscars for both acting and writing. She and Winslet were also nominated for their performances.

A new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility is currently in development at Netflix, with Daisy Edgar-Jones set to star.